fellow-pomp and circumstance.

ok, so a few days after mikey’s graduation came phil’s graduation from fellowship.  and his graduating from fellowship meant that this ten-year road of medical school (with an extra year to get a master’s in public health thrown in for fun), internship, residency, and fellowship has finally, FINALLY come to an end.  well, almost.  phil has ten days left before actually being done.  why they do the graduation and then make you come back for three more weeks of work is beyond me.

last year’s graduation from residency had more pomp than this year’s graduation from fellowship.  it felt a little more exciting last year, even though we knew there was this extra year tacked on.  but this year felt more like we were limping across that finish line just because of the particularly difficult past six months or so.  and well, we’re both just kinda tired.

this was phil’s sixth post-high school graduation.  funny that it coincided the same year as mikey’s very first graduation.  🙂

so yes, this graduation was much more low-key and less pomp and no circumstance than mikey’s kinder-graduation ceremony.  but, we really enjoyed the more relaxed and casual atmosphere.  the graduating fellows were all called to the upstairs patio.

to assemble little wooden airplanes and fly them to symbolize how far they’ve come and how far they would go.  or something like that.  unfortunately, most of the planes spiraled straight downward.  so hopefully the symbolism doesn’t really foretell the future.  cuz uh, that wouldn’t bode very well for us.

the airplanes turned out to be a very good thing though, because all the kids there had a blast playing with them.  especially this particular kid.

my baby and my man.  sigh.  hello my baby.  hello my man.  (sorry, been reading too many beginning readers with mikey lately.)

it’s official, folks.  got his certificate and everything!  he’s DONE!!!!!

ho, ho, ha, ha, ha.  we’re all good friends here.  “it’s all about the fellows!”  😉

as well as another certificate for “special recognition in research” thrown in for good measure.  because, as one attending told our kids, “your daddy is a nerd.”

four fellows.  ha ha.  see what i did there?  double meaning, alliteration, and all?  ok, i’ll stop now.

and what fellow graduation is complete without a pinata?  there’s our baby getting pointers from her dad.

she done did her daddy proud!

and by golly, our girl was gonna get that donkey to spill its loot no matter what!  (the girl before allie knocked the poor donkey’s head off).

the older kids were blindfolded.  my peace-loving, non-violent son gave the poor donkey three gentle taps before stepping away to give the next person her turn.

finally, cuz it was getting dark, and cuz the donkey appeared to have been built like a tank (except for the head), the loot had to be poured out from above.

and that, my friends, is how one does a fellow graduation right!  🙂

way to go, honey for a job very well done.  we’re so proud of you and can’t wait to begin the next chapter of our lives!